Preview: Stevenage

SWINDON are back on the road again this weekend, making the journey to take on Stevenage at The Lamex Stadium.

The match will be an historic first ever league meeting between the two sides.

THE VIEW

Manager Paolo Di Canio told the media at Thursday’s press call that it is no coincidence that Boro are near the summit of League One.

“They won their last two games so they’re in a good position at the top,” he said. “They are a solid team, strong physically and they know what they want. They work so hard off the ball and when they have got the ball especially if they can play on the counter, they have two or three good individuals.

“They play effective football which is important in this league and this is why they stay near the top so they’re a very tough side to face at the moment but I’m not worried because we play our football and we try to get points from this game.”

THE STORY SO FAR

Under the management of Gary Smith, Stevenage sit second on the League One table having lost only one game all season: a 1-0 reverse at Colchester. Despite being knocked out of both the Capital One Cup and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, Boro are among the early pace setters in the league and are just a point behind leaders Tranmere.

LAST TIME OUT

Town were famously beaten 2-1 in an FA Cup tie at The County Ground in 1998 when Stevenage were still in the non-leagues. The last meeting between the two came in the LDV Vans Trophy in October 2005. Rory Fallon and Hameur Bouazza secured Swindon’s passage through to the next round courtesy of a 2-0 win.